Sharon's health (Stan's Facebook updates)

[Steve Hubbell]

3 hours ago
I've finally finished UY: Senso. I just sent the last chapter in this morning. Now I'll be doing a variant cover for Marvel's Rocket Raccoon, a 4-pager for the Legal Defense Fund annual anthology, get ready for San Diego, then, after a 2 year hiatus, back to the regular Usagi series.



Here are two variations of the first page of Senso #6. After drawing the first one, I decided not to use it for a couple of reasons, so redid it. I've had to redraw pages a few times, more recently the splash page for Senso #2.

[Steve Hubbell]

13 hours ago
A new round of art and prints have gone up in the eBay CAPS auction. Items are still coming in. Just today I received a copy of Albedo #2 (Usagi's first appearance) from artist/publisher Steven A Gallacci. Thanks, buddy!

http://www.ebay.com/sch/capsauction/m.h ... _ipg&_from

[Steve Hubbell]

2 hours ago
It had not been a great week for Sharon. She has been very tired, sleeping about 18 hours a day and she's been lethargic when awake. She was too weak to make it to chemo therapy on Tuesday and to a doctor's appointment on Thursday.

[Steve Hubbell]

21 hours ago
I'm penciling my Rocket Raccoon cover for Marvel, and watching The Court Jester, my favorite Danny Kaye movie. I've got some brew in my chalice from the palace.

19 hours ago
"The pellet with the poison's in the vessel with the pestle. The chalice from the palace has the brew that is true." Then the chalice from the palace broke and, "The pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the dragon. The vessel with the pestle has the brew that is true."

20 hours ago
Wait WHAT? Stan you're going to be doing a Rocket Racoon cover???? Will it be a varient?

19 hours ago
Yes, Ashley C. Drummond, I am doing a Rocket Raccoon variant cover.

19 hours ago
Rocket Vs Usagi I would love to see that happen !

19 hours ago
Aaron Erickson--Usagi has his swords, but Rocket has guns. BIG guns.

17 hours ago
Stan is it a variant cover, or is it gonna be a regular cover? Gotta make sure I get one if it's a variant.

17 hours ago
Yes, it will be a variant.

2 hours ago

Right after watching The Court Jester, my favorite Danny Kaye movie, I went on to watch my favorite Fred MacMurray flick. Want to know what it is? Here's a clue: "Honors flysis. Income beezis. Onches nobsis. Inob keesis."



While you're googling it, here is a watercolor I had done a few days ago. Caution: The youtube video does contain spoilers.

[Mayhem]

Cracking watercolour Stan, is that for anything in particular?

And Rocket Raccoon vs Usagi might work IF it's Space Usagi we're talking about here

[Gaffey]

Cracking watercolour Stan, is that for anything in particular?

My collection! Just kidding. If that was Usagi and Spot in the rain I'd be begging him for it.

[maichan]

Yes, that watercolor is simply awesome.... I really love the watercolors that Stan has done/shown recently.

[Steve Hubbell]

12 hours ago
Sharon had been sleeping a lot the past few days, and seemed very disoriented. We called 911, and she is back in Emergency--the fourth time in about two months. No diagnosis yet, but she is on an antibiotic drip.

[Steve Hubbell]

21 hours ago
I voted this morning, then came to visit Sharon in the hospital. There are more tests that need to be run, but so far they have determined she has a urinary infection and low sodium. She has been sleeping most of the time since she was admitted. She was awake for about 15 minutes in the 4 hours I have been here so far. Here is the view from here room. There are friendly ducks in the pond.



15 hours ago
Friendly ducks in a row.

4 hours ago
Since Sharon was sleeping all day at the hospital, I did get some sketching done. I have been self-publishing annual sketchbooks for the past 10 years. I did not think I would have the time to put one together this year, but maybe I will.











about an hour ago
The sketchbooks are saddle stitched booklets, 28 pages self cover. I sell them at conventions, though Stuart Ng Books may have a few after the San Diego Con. They are signed with a Usagi head sketch.

[Steve Hubbell]

5 hours ago
Sharon is getting better. She did not sleep as much as previous days, and her sodium level is rising. She seemed a lot more lucid today. There is still more testing to be done, so we do not know when she will be discharged from the hospital.

[Steve Hubbell]

11 hours ago
Penny Penguin keeps Sharon company in the hospital. She is getting much better, and may be discharged in the next few days. Right now, though, they are still assessing her condition day by day.

6 hours ago
Blueberries are on sale at Smart & Final, and strawberries are at Sprouts. I made strawberry/blueberry pie with a macadamia nut crust.



There are three pounds of strawberries in there, but I don't think that's enough.



And I made catfish for dinner.

3 hours ago
Here is my pie crust recipe. It has been in the family for years and years, but it was our idea to add macadamia nuts to it. If you don't like it, you might try it without the nuts. It is a nice, flaky crust. 1.5 cup flour, 1/2 t salt, 1/2 cup Crisco (butter flavor), 3 Tbs cold water. Sift flour and salt, cut Crisco into flour, add about 2.5 oz chopped lightly salted macadamia nuts, add cold water, roll into a ball, then chill in fridge. After it is rolled out on the pie plate, bake in oven at 475 for 8-10 minutes

As for the filling, this is the one I used, I just added blueberries to it. This is the one from America's Test Kitchen.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/membe ... S-51985661

fresh strawberry pie from america's test kitchens
Submitted by gaildwsn | Updated: February 23, 2013

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Because uncooked berries shed so much liquid, the filling for strawberry pie is usually firmed up with some sort of thickener, which produces results that range from stiff and bouncy to runny and gloppy. We wanted a recipe for our ideal strawberry pie, featuring fresh berries lightly held together by a sheer, glossy glaze that would make their flavor pop in the buttery shell. We knew that the success of our strawberry pie hinged on getting the thickener just right. When none of the thickeners we tried worked on their own, we decided to use a combination of two: pectin (in the form of a homemade strawberry jam) and cornstarch. By themselves, pectin produced a filling that was too firm and cornstarch one that was too loose. But together they created just the right supple, lightly clingy glaze. (less)

servings:
8-10 servings
active time:
1 hour
total time:
3 hours

ingredients:

• Filling
  4pints (about 3 pounds) fresh strawberries, gently rinsed and dried, hulled (see note)
  3/4cup (5 1/4 ounces) sugar
  2tablespoons cornstarch
  1 1/2teaspoons Sure-Jell for low-sugar recipes (see note)
  Generous pinch Table salt
  1tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
  1 recipe Baked Pie Shell
  Whipped Cream
  1cup cold heavy cream
  1tablespoon sugar

preparation:

• 1. FOR THE FILLING: Select 6 ounces misshapen, underripe, or otherwise unattractive berries, halving those that are large; you should have about 1½ cups. In food processor, process berries to smooth puree, 20 to 30 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed. You should have about ¾ cup puree.
  
  2. Whisk sugar, cornstarch, Sure-Jell, and salt in medium saucepan. Stir in berry puree, making sure to scrape corners of pan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with heatproof rubber spatula, and bring to full boil. Boil, scraping bottom and sides of pan to prevent scorching, for 2 minutes to ensure that cornstarch is fully cooked (mixture will appear frothy when it first reaches boil, then will darken and thicken with further cooking). Transfer to large bowl and stir in lemon juice. Let cool to room temperature.
  
  3. Meanwhile, pick over remaining berries and measure out 2 pounds of most attractive ones; halve only extra-large berries. Add berries to bowl with glaze and fold gently with rubber spatula until berries are evenly coated. Scoop berries into pie shell, piling into mound. If any cut sides face up on top, turn them face down. If necessary, rearrange berries so that holes are filled and mound looks attractive. Refrigerate pie until chilled, about 2 hours. Serve within 5 hours of chilling.?
  
  4. FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM: Just before serving, beat cream and sugar with electric mixer on low speed until small bubbles form, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium; continue beating until beaters leave trail, about 30 additional seconds. Increase speed to high; continue beating until cream is smooth, thick, and nearly doubled in volume and forms soft peaks, 30 to 60 seconds.
  
  5. Cut pie into wedges. Serve with whipped cream.

[Steve Hubbell]

36 minutes ago
Sharon is coming home from the hospital today!

[Steve Hubbell]

4 hours ago
Sharon is home is resting comfortably. She rode home in an ambulance, because I was not comfortable with her sitting up so long. Remember the vasovagal episode a few weeks ago where she lost consciousness after sitting up for awhile? Anyway, we did not know what time she would be discharged, so I stayed with her all day missing lunch. We finally got home about 6. Fortunately, I had started dinner--a crockpot barbecue pork roast--before I left in the morning. Barbecue pork, garlic mash potato, sautéed mushrooms, and a salad with miso/wasabi dressing. Dessert, of course, was homemade strawberry/blueberry pie.

[Steve Hubbell]

2 hours ago

Sharon had chemo therapy today. It took longer than usual, but she was fine with it. It always takes a lot out of her, so she slept the afternoon away. She has a post-hospitalization appointment on Thursday.

I really liked the strawberry/blueberry on macadamia nut crust pie I made last week, so made another one today.

[Steve Hubbell]

3 hours ago
Sharon has a post-hospitalization doctor appointment this afternoon. She has been doing pretty good the past few days, though the chemo session did tire her out on Tuesday.

Yesterday I did a Batman drawing for a National Cartoonists Society project, and did a few watercolor drawings.